Military Medicine: Beyond the Battlefield

A bittersweet fact of life is that warfare often leads to medical breakthroughs. Since 9/11, American soldiers have been treated for amputated limbs, concussive brain injuries, burns, and other medical traumas that they probably would not have survived in earlier conflicts. This PBS-aired documentary—hosted by ABC News correspondent Bob Woodruff, who suffered a serious head injury from an IED while covering the Iraq War—looks at recent medical innovations on the battlefield. The first rule of treatment is to transport the wounded from the field to a forward hospital, administering help as quickly as possible, after which patients are sent to a stateside hospital best equipped to treat particular injuries and begin rehabilitation. For example, Walter Reed Army Hospital, near Washington, D.C., has devised innovations in the areas of prosthetics, wheelchair design (using robotic arms), and regenerative medicine, including creating new skin for burn patients. Brain injuries have been described as medicine's Wild West, with the goal being to restore a life of independence to the veteran. The military has set up a Joint Trauma System to help coordinate care, and many veterans have shown an interest in designing therapy that fits their unique needs. In the ongoing war on terrorism, the military continues to learn new ways to process and treat casualties, while also transferring this hard-won knowledge to the civilian world. An informative documentary, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)